Press Release

Friday, January 04, 2019

FMA APPLAUDS HOUSE EFFORT TO END PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN - January 4, 2019

Alexandria, VA - On Thursday, January 3, the House of Representatives passed two measures that would end the partial government shutdown. The consolidated spending package would also provide federal employees with a 1.9 percent pay raise for 2019. Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Renee Johnson made the following comments on the passage of the legislation:

"FMA praises the House of Representatives for taking immediate action on the first day of the 116th Congress to pass legislation to reopen the government. The costly partial government shutdown has extended nearly two weeks and needs to end for the good of all Americans. Every day that agencies and departments are shuttered there are severe negative consequences on the services Americans rely on, as well as the financial stability of federal employees and their families.

"The measures agreed to by the House would return federal employees to work, allowing them to provide the vital services to the American public and earn their paychecks. The spending package also provides stopgap funding for the Department of Homeland Security and more time for all parties to negotiate border security. There are no 'winners' in a government shutdown. It is beyond time for all elected decision makers to set politics aside on behalf of the American public and the hundreds of thousands of federal employees caught in the middle of the political crossfire.

"We applaud the inclusion of the 1.9 percent pay raise broadly supported by a bipartisan majority of both the House and the Senate for 2019. FMA fully supports the 2.6 percent pay raise the uniformed military will receive this year, and argues the 1.9 percent increase for civilian federal workforce is necessary and fair.

"FMA urges the Senate to adopt the House-passed spending measures and President Trump to sign them into law."